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NL003
Texel: Dunes and Hors
Location Netherlands, Noord-Holland
Central coordinates 4o 47.00' East  53o 7.00' North
IBA criteria A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, B3, C2, C4, C6
Area 3,850 ha
Altitude 0 - 25m
Year of IBA assessment 2000

Vogelbescherming Nederland



Ornithological information The area is important for its two traditional breeding sites of Platalea leucorodia.

Site description An extensive area of sand-dunes that stretches along 25 km of the North Sea side of Texel island; the width of the site varies from 200 m (near De Koog village) to 2 km. Important habitats include small lakes and dune-slacks (e.g. De Muy, De Geul), sea inlets with saltmarshes (De Slufter, De Mok), sandflats (De Hors), shifting and fixed dunes, and cord-grass Spartina swards. Parts of the inner dunes are covered by forestry plantations (largely excluded from the site). Hunting is allowed but with restrictions on quarry species. Other land-uses include scattered houses, recreational facilities, and groundwater abstraction. This site, together with site 002, formed part of a single, larger site (former site NL002) in the previous pan-European IBA inventory (Grimmett and Jones 1989).

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia breeding  1991  54 breeding pairs  good  A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6  Least Concern 
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia non-breeding  1991  31 individuals  good  B1i, C2  Least Concern 
Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus breeding  1991  16 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica winter  1995  856 individuals  good  B2  Least Concern 
Mew Gull Larus canus breeding  1991  1,262 breeding pairs  good  B2  Least Concern 
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus breeding  1991  990 breeding pairs  good  B3  Least Concern 
Little Tern Sterna albifrons breeding  1991  33 breeding pairs  good  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus breeding  1991  8 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
A4iii Species group - waterbirds unknown  1991  20,000 individuals  unknown  A4iii, C4   

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
't Stoar Nature Reserve 9 protected area contained by site 9  
De Petten Nature Reserve 4 protected area contained by site 4  
Duinen Midden, Texel Nature Reserve 1,284 protected area overlaps with site 800  
Duinen Noord, Texel Nature Reserve 1,370 protected area contained by site 1,370  
Duinen Texel - NL3009008 Birds Directive 3,102 protected area contained by site 3,102  
Duinen Texel, Waal en Burg, Dijkmanshuizen en De Bol - NL2003060 Habitats Directive 4,657 protected area contains site 3,850  
Duinen Zuid, Texel Nature Reserve 1,092 protected area contained by site 1,092  
Hanenplas Natural Monument 70 protected area contained by site 70  
Hanenplas II Natural Monument 5 protected area contained by site 5  
Korverskooi Nature Conservation Law 50 protected area contained by site 51  
Noordzeekustzone - NL2003062 Habitats Directive 24,838 protected area is adjacent to site 0  
Noordzeekustzone - NL9802001 Birds Directive 123,646 protected area is adjacent to site 0  
Waddeneilanden,Noordzeekustzone,Breebaart Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) 135,000 protected area overlaps with site 0  
Waddenzee (Wadden Sea) Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) 249,998 protected area overlaps with site 0  
Waddenzee - NL1000001 Habitats Directive 259,214 protected area is adjacent to site 0  
Waddenzee - NL9801001 Birds Directive 272,027 protected area is adjacent to site 0  
Waddenzee I Natural Monument 125,000 protected area overlaps with site 60  
Waddenzee II Natural Monument 80,000 protected area overlaps with site 300  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Coastline Salt marshes; Sand dunes & beaches  96%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
hunting 90%
nature conservation and research 84%
tourism/recreation 95%

Management considerations Threats include military training (De Hors) and increasing tourism, although large areas are closed to the public during the breeding season. The site is largely owned and managed as Nature Reserves by the National Forestry Service. The saltmarsh and mudflats are included in the SPA- and Ramsar-designated Wadden Sea.

Protection status National Partial International None70 ha of IBA covered by Natural Monument (Hanenplas, 70 ha). 5 ha of IBA covered by Natural Monument (Hanenplas II, 5 ha). 51 ha of IBA covered by Natural Monument (Korverskooi, 51 ha). 60 ha of IBA covered by Natural Monument (Waddenzee I, 125,000 ha). 300 ha of IBA covered by Natural Monument (Waddenzee II, 80,000 ha). 9 ha covered by Nature Reserve (`t Stoar, 9 ha). 4 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (De Petten, 4 ha). 800 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Duinen Midden, Texel, 1,284 ha). 1,370 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Duinen Noord, Texel, 1,370 ha). 1,092 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Duinen Zuid, Texel, 1,092 ha).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Texel: Dunes and Hors. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/05/2013

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife